White
by Rosen bloo
Summary: Events after Chap 51 in the Manga-Spoilers for those who only watched the anime-M for later chapters: /(Was it really just something that happened? Or was it at my own hands?) Corporal Levi took his blades out, his team following his lead. (This time… I'm going to protect each one of them…) / Levi x Eren - Levi x Petra
1. Chapter 1

"_From the moment we're born, all of us are free. Those who deny it, no matter how strong they are, have nothing to do with it. The fiery waters, or the lands of ice... it doesn't matter which. Those who've seen them are the ones who've gained the greatest freedom in this world."_

* * *

To you: 2000 years from now.

Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by Titans: creatures similar to them in form with no intelligence whatsoever, with heights varying from 4 to 15 meters. A small percentage of humanity survived, walling themselves in cities protected by extremely high walls.

For 100 years everything was safe.

Year: 845 – A Colossal Titan breaks a hole in Wall Maria with the help of an Armored Titan. Titans merge into the wall devouring humans. More than 10000 perished, got missing, or vanished.

1/5 of the humanity was lost.

Year: 850 – The 104th Trainees squad graduates. Eren Jeager engages in his first battle with the colossal titan who appears again to break the gates of Wall Rose.

The teen discovers his ability to turn into a titan. The military forces use him as the Rogue Titan to block the hole with a giant boulder. Mission succeeds and Wall Rose is secured.

Eren joins the Surveying Corps, aka Recon Corps, under the strict supervision of Corporal Levi and Commander Erwin.

Annie Leonhart, a former member of the 104th trainees' squad who joined the military police,is discovered as the female titan and was taken into custody. She manages to encase herself with unbreakable crystals right before her capture and is now under observation in the dungeons.

After the battle with her as the Female Titan, a face of a giant titan appears behind the cracks on Wall Rose and Pastor Nick quickly tells the fighting teams to cover it from the sunlight so it won't move.

Hanje Zoe, a Squad Leader from the Survey Corps and a main researcher in the military, starts investigations.

Reiner and Bertolt were discovered as the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan. Ymir decides to betray humanity and run away with these two, to secure Christa's safety, aka Historia Reiss who is of a noble family and might have information about the secret of the walls, and the only person Ymir claims to be her best friend.

Year: 851— Current time.

Levi and his new squad members: Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Sasha, Jean, Connie, and Historia move to a house in a mountain-side village nearby the walls till further orders, while the military carries on with its inquiries.

* * *

At the mountain side of Wall Rose where no civilization exists:

Titans' roars faded into the horizon as the sun sank slowly behind thick 50 meters high walls. Flaming scarlet painted the clouds in what seemed to be the blood of those departed.

Sunsets were pretty much something men in the walls readily waited for.

Especially the Garrison men which patrolled over the edges every day…

There was this magical sensation in looking right at the titans falling down, one by one, in weary and drain, deprived from the sunlight.

Something with a bit of joy to the forces, who thought they can finally rest a little before their agony starts again the next morning.

Sometimes it made them hate the sun. Sometimes it made them want to live in eternal darkness. For every day that shined with golden rays on them meant titans feeling that as well. The warmth and softness of the daylight roughly meant anything to those men but the reminder of Hope after darkness.

What a cruel, cruel world they lived in… Yet so, so beautiful…

A certain someone was sitting on the brick rooftop of the small wooden house in which the squad was resting— yawning and sighing in boredom and complaint.

_Man… this is so booooooring… either I clean, or I sit here watching out for intruders… even TITAN fighting now seems fun…_ "Corporal Levi is just boring…" Jean mumbled rolling his eyes as he lay back.

"Slacking on the job?"

"No, sir!" Jean quickly answered, sitting back up in full awareness.

Levi sighed as though this kid was testing his patience. Even Sasha was proven to be useful in cleaning this house—or what looked like a dumpster the first time they stepped in. Jean, on the other hand, couldn't even fix his bed or help making food—and that made the corporal tensed that he just wanted him out of the way.

Watching out for anything or anyone who came close to this small cabin seemed like a good task.

No one really knew why Corporal Levi had chosen this group among all of those whose skills would fit perfectly with his—perhaps except for Commander Erwin, who got to know his second-in-command to a point; he's able to predict his reactions.

He had picked them all by the name.

He started with Eren— that "suicidal brat" from Zhiganshina district which was first invaded by the Titans— who was always getting himself in trouble, especially after learning his ability to transform into a titan himself, which caused a big fuss in the inner walls. Somehow it all ended into Levi beating the shit out of him in front of the military court to prove that he'd never hurt humans, and that he's under control. The corporal had hurt him so bad that Eren kept cringing every time he approached him.

Despite that, the last battles had proven him to be suitable for combat –and Levi was to supervise him directly.

As for the other members, he had observed them all for a week-time period and could realize a lot of their attributes might be helpful. They were, at the same time, the only people this boy-titan could bond with.

He noticed Historia's innocence yet ability to aid others—apart from being the daughter of a noble family who knows the secret of the wall, Sasha's spontaneity and creativity, Connie's bravery and loyalty, Armin's intellect and strategic thinking, Mikasa's strength and agility, Jean's leadership and decision making, combining that with his battle skills and experience, he probably thought they just need a little bit of _discipline_ and he will be able to compensate for his loss... his former team that was known for its rank.

"Go eat with your comrades; I'll be watching guard tonight." Levi continued.

"Yes, sir." The fair-haired jumped up with a big grin at the mention of food, then realized his leader wasn't smiling so he just let his gaze down and walked into the house. He turned back to look at him; Corporal Levi was just there standing still, face towards the nightfall. His green cape fluttered with the wind and the freedom wings of the recon corps emblem flickered in front of him. Despite his leg being injured during the last battle with the Female Titan, his leader still stood restlessly strict for his mission.

It was one of the reasons that made Jean look up to his superior and respect him.

"There you are! Mister can't-flush-properly, haha!" Connie joked as Jean appeared.

"Suck it." The latter snorted and sat by the table, his friend's laughter still going on.

"You haven't eaten since morning." Historia said with an angelic smile, placing a plate of potato soup in front of him. "I hope you like this. There's nothing else."

Levi sighed, somewhat listening to the chit-chats the group was having.

_Those brats... They're so much like them… _He thought, taking a deep breath and calmly letting it out.

"Where's Mikasa?" Jean asked, looking around.

"I think she's out with Eren and Armin, practicing close range combat." Connie replied, signaling him to the window. "Sasha hasn't been back either."

"They've been out all day long." Historia added; a little concerned.

Jean's eyes turned into slits as he chewed on his food harder in irritation. "What does she like in him?" he muttered.  
"The fact that he's a good housewife?" Connie elbowed him and laughed.

It was no hidden fact to everyone that Jean really admired that young woman; who didn't? She was attractive, strong, and ranked as the top student among the 104th trainees' squad— someone with no precedent talents. Yet it was also clear she had no interest in anyone but Eren- her adopted brother, so much that she'd kill mercilessly for him.

It was somewhat getting on Jean's nerves; he really tried to impress her whenever it was possible.

"I said Shut up!"

"Guys…" Historia pointed a big wooden spoon at them, "No fighting."

Levi sighed again placing his hand by his forehead in thoughts. He could also hear Armin's pain moans coming from behind the nearby trees.

"C'mon, give it your best!" Eren shouted.

"I am! I-I'm not giving up!" Armin yelled back. And then another groan was heard.

"You're doing it wrong." Mikasa commented.

"Damnit!"

_Was it really just something that happened? Or was it at my own hands?_ Levi's mind now focused on the events of the battle in the breached Wall Maria: his special operation squad being killed one by one, Petra's face bleeding as her body was crushed by the tree… Eld… Gunther… Oluo…

He sighed again; shaking the pictures of their deaths out of his head.

It never ceased haunting him.

The recon corps was not a place to relax–everybody knew that. Sure you get to venture and see what's beyond the walls, but no one really wanted to go outside of the walls with all those flesh-eating titans around. Every mission, someone—a lot of soldiers— died. Every time they went outside the squads had to be ready to lose a childhood friend, a comrade, or a family member. Unlike the military police, the recon corps' job required direct contact with titans, something the MP never really knew the feeling of.

Sacrifices had to be made in order to keep humanity safe.

And the Recon Corps was the only offence forces they had.

_For the glory of humanity…_ Levi's dark gray eyes sharpened in determination.

_**I have to protect them this time…**_

* * *

"Man… this was a LONG day." Eren said leaning down on his bed, grateful for the softness of his blanket.

"Eehhh…." Armin barely breathed as he slept on the upper bunk part, all tired, scraped knees and wounds here and there tinting the sheets in red.

"Can you guys keep it quiet? Someone is trying to sleep." Jean mumbled as he covered himself fully by the other side of the room—not willing to hear about their day together.

"You should have been sleeping in Corporal Levi's room." Connie said, leaning down from above and poking his head out to him. "Or maybe in the girls' room?"

The fair-haired cadet felt the red flush his cheeks as the thoughts of Mikasa in a nightdress filled up his mind; he ended up throwing a pillow right in Connie's face.

_I wish…_

"It's getting cold." Eren's voice interrupted the peace surrounding his Leader on the roof. Gentle cold breezes hissed with the trees covering the team.

Levi barely looked back and then turned again to face the dark meadows and the forests.

"Shouldn't you be asleep, kid?"

"Well… I was… But the window was opened and it got sort of chilly, and I ended up awake. I thought I'll take your shift watching out and let you sleep… Sir. " The teen attempted sitting down and lost his balance, he ended up with his bum crushing the few bricks below him painfully. It made the scene even more awkward for him. "Ow ow ow!"  
Levi sighed, giving him a glance from the tip of his eyes. "You and Historia are the ones being protected here." He stated, "It'd be less of a burden if you try to stay _**in**_ the house and wander _**less**_ in the forests."

The boy noticed the look the superior had and how it clearly told him _I saw you sneaking out last night and I did not like it._

Eren just looked away pretending not to notice, and changed the subject. "So… Does that mean you're not going to sleep?"  
Levi didn't need to answer that.

An hour passed, and the stillness of that night had made the teen more tensed.

Ever since he joined the Recon Corps, Corporal Levi was more than eager to teach him about the life outside the walls and the dangers it included. He probably attempted more often to scare the little man than to encourage him on fighting. However, Eren knew, for certain, that his Superior's experiences had well sharpened his mind. It made the man's reactions faster, his decisions clearer, and his objectives and priorities definite. It was something that made him praised by everyone, especially Commander Erwin, who had known him for years.

But something always troubled his fifteen year-old mind; something about the stories he had heard before, concerning the Corporal's life, made him seem a little bit… too phenomenal, maybe. Or maybe that the truth held within those rumors had just started to get clearer the more time he spent with him.

He remembered Petra's words, telling him about how he's a different type of heroes than what people thought he was. He's short, grumpy, violent, and freakishly clean. He remembered Petra's words, and that when she said them, there was this warmth in her eyes.

Eren had felt it, that despite the facts mentioned Corporal Levi was still a well suited captain whose kindness and sacrifices had managed to keep humans safe.

The more he knew about his commander, the more confused he got.

"Corporal, ummm…" Eren looked up, breaking the silence, "May I ask something?"  
"Hm…?"  
"Why did you choose the life of the Surveying Corps?"

The dark starry nights had an effect on the way things looked, because for an instance Eren saw that Levi's face had a frown, but then again he was just as normal and as blank as he can be; ignoring his nosy questions. The teen kept looking at the wall's edge beyond the forest and the trees. He decided it is better not to ask again.

Everything was pitch black, yet the wall had created a fine blue line that collided with the sky— it made Eren think more of the pages he's seen about the outer world.

"Sir…" He stopped a bit, thinking whether or not he should try to make a conversation again. "Have you ever… well…outside the walls…seen big watery surfaces… Called oceans?"

The man looked down, sort of in a questioning look; not a doubtful one but more about _how could someone like you know of this?_

"From afar. Yes. Many times." He answered calmly.

"What about the lands of ice?"

"Once, or twice." Levi stated.

The teen stood back up in interest and somewhat excitement. "How did it look like? Was it cold? Does it really -?"  
"How do you know of this?" The corporal interrupted, still as calm as his usually is.

"Armin and I… We had this book that his parents left… You see, they were also among those who died amid the Recon Corps' expeditions. It talked of the oceans, the seas of sand, the water that burns and the lands of ice. I've always wanted to see those!"

At this moment, the sparkles in Eren's jade eyes were evident, even with the moon hidden behind those early winter clouds. He was thrilled, smiling with enthusiasm and passion for the world; the same passion he had when he was 10 years old. "I'm wiping out all of those titans and going to travel the world one day."

The man's expressions lightened a bit. The boy wasn't sure what it meant.

"You do seem like you have a certain purpose. You're still just a spoiled shithead though. Make sure your impulsiveness doesn't get in the way."

"What do you mean?"  
"You're strong, but your recklessness will get you into more trouble than what you think. You need to have better control over your emotions when in battle."

Eren looked down with a bit of frustration, hands turning into fists. "But–"  
"Like now for instance." Levi interrupted, staring at him quietly like a ghost.  
"Tsch…"  
"If you stay agitated all the time you will end up not only causing trouble for yourself but your team too. Instincts are fatal if you don't have the means to accomplish the purpose. You must learn to synchronize your skills with the rest. It's something of big important when facing strong titans which you can't fight alone; especially the intelligent ones we're investigating. You need to believe in your comrades. You're still just a brat who can't fight on his own."

A flashback of the special operation squad's fight with the female titan blurred Eren's sight of the Corporal. He remembered the day they told him to count on them, how they were a "team" that will accomplish the mission perfectly. He watched them fight together, as though they could read the others' minds. They filled what their comrade lacked.

Sadly, the lack of information and the strength of Annie had outmatched them…  
_That's a proof of their hard long practice though, if we train together like that. But Corporal Levi … out of all people why did he pick us?  
_A gentle pat on the shoulder woke him up from his thoughts. Eren stared at two cold, sharp, gray eyes.

"But don't worry too much." The man affirmed in a soft voice, "After all you're under _**my **_protection."

This moment probably made Eren realize that being a leader such as Levi hides a lot of pain behind it; a lot of pain and responsibility. He's already seen the hurt and agony the last battles had caused; the people who died, got injured, and at the least traumatized by the amount of friends they lost. Although every mission was for humanity's sake and his protection as a link to discovering the secrets behind the Titans, not a single Recon Corps squad leader ever complained. Ever.

_Just how much have they witnessed that made them so indifferent to these feelings of loss? Do they even have any emotions left? _The teen thought, watching as his superior went back to his surveillance by the other side of the roof. _How does Commander Erwin, Squad Leader Hanji, Corporal Levi and the others feel about the deaths of their comrades now?_

_I never even saw him mourn his friends…_

* * *

The black sky slowly shifted into a lighter bluish color, announcing that dawn is near.

Eren yawned more, stretched on the roof, heard the bricks beneath protest as he shifted his weight, and then suddenly realized he was actually waking up – because he had fallen asleep instead of keeping watch with his leader.

_SHIT._

He looked to his left, where he remembers he last saw the man. Levi was settled down, still staring straight as though the night had just started.  
_I guess he's been used to this…_

A green recon-corps cape slid off of his shoulders as he sat up—a cape that was not his. He looked again at the Corporal and immediately felt embarrassed.  
_Way to go… trying to look all tough and you ended up sleeping like a baby…_

"Welcome back, kid." Levi stated, with a bit of a mocking attitude. "You almost convinced me that you're able to take this night shift and I was thinking of offering you the next one."

His voice came out gentle yet frustrated, "I'm not a kid…I just –! Eehh…" and it almost made Levi smile.

_THUMP_

A giant tree from the other side of the forest fell down making a loud thud. Both Eren and Corporal Levi turned their gazes towards the sound, cautiously staring.

"I don't think there's anyone here to chop wood at this time of the day." The teen commented, then turned his looks at the leader who had his eyes in daggers and a position of a soldier set for battle.

"Corporal?"  
"If your comrades are still asleep after this, wake them up. Tell them to prepare their gear. Mikasa will take you and Historia to the closest village. Let Commander Erwin know about this."  
"What? I'm not leaving and—"  
"This is an order Eren." Levi stared at him. "Mikasa's ribs were hurt and she can't fight. Protecting you and Historia is our first priority here. I suppose you haven't forgotten that."

Eren gritted his teeth in frustration and jumped down into the house.  
Connie, Jean and Armin had already gotten ready. Sasha was packing potatoes in her bag while Historia was trying to convince Mikasa she shouldn't wear her gear.  
"Eren!" The girl shouted as her way to welcome him, obviously mad he was out of the house.  
"Corporal Levi wants us to move to the nearby village and send the Commander news about this." He said, looking at both Historia and his adopted sister.

"What happened?" Jean interrupted.  
"I suspected it yesterday while we were training in the forest." Armin looked down guiltily and hassled, "There has been someone tracking us. Someone or something… I kept having this eerie feeling of being watched. Then I saw crystals under a tree but I didn't think—I didn't want to think—that it could be of the same type we saw Annie encase herself into."  
"What do you mean _crystals_?"Jean feared. They did not plan for this.  
Connie approached, "Titans?"  
Armin shook his head. "I don't know whether to say there are titans here, or if this place was an old place for titan experiments."

"Eren!" Levi's voice was heard from outside, rushing the teen.

Mikasa didn't leave them time to talk and grabbed her brother's hand, pulling him out. "Historia, let's go!"

"NO!" Eren stopped and snatched his arm back, the blonde girl hesitating behind him. "I'm staying. You and Historia will go to safety."  
"Eren, our main purpose of coming here was to watch over you two and keep you safe." She objected.

But the young man wouldn't settle, "I wouldn't leave my friends to die because of me again!"

"Mikasa! Take them out!" The leader shouted. "NOW"  
Sasha quickly placed a full bag in Historia's hands, "protect it with your life" She mumbled, a piece of bread between her teeth, and then got out instantly. Connie gave Eren a quiet look and rushed after her.

Jean looked down in a bit of confusion as his hands turned into fists, "Protect them." He said, facing Mikasa's eyes. "Don't fight. Avoid everything that can hurt any of you. You're not a position for your courage to take over. If anything, send us a green flare to indicate you're safe, and a red one to indicate a handicap. We'll follow you as fast as possible."

Armin stayed silent, looking down and swallowing-in his uncertainty.

"Let's go." The man pointed to the door and hurried after the others, the blond following him.

"Eren." Mikasa gave him a look. "It's not the time for your stubbornness."  
"But I agree with him." Historia interrupted. "Ymir is there somewhere. She had her reasons to stay back and I'm sure she did everything for my safety. I'm not willing to lose more people just because they want to protect me."

The conversation didn't last long, as louder thuds were heard; steps coming out of titans. Yet behind Wall Rose how can there be more Titans since the wall wasn't breached and the military forces were still surely surrounding Rakago village?  
This was supposed to be **a clear deserted area**.

"Capture them alive." Corporal Levi said as three 14 meters male Titans emerged from behind the trees.

Armin's eyes widened their bluish color a bit dimmer than usually "They look just like…Annie's…" He muttered. "A-Assuming they can harden their skin. Try to only engage on the Joints. Make them still and you win."  
"What are such things doing here?" Sasha protested.

"They're people." Connie said, clenching his teeth in anger; remembering what happened in his village with his family. "They're people who chose to be like this. Like Reiner, Annie and Bertolt!"

"They're here for Historia and Eren." Levi stated. "No matter what, we must stop them. Attempt Capture. Mission objective changes if they try to follow their targets. Kill when necessary."

"Yes, Sir!" The group said as one.

The titans stood tall in front of them, red flesh bending up as something like a smile appeared on their faces.

Corporal Levi took his blades out, his team following his lead.

_This time… I'm going to protect each one of them_…


	2. Chapter 2

"_The difference in judgment between you and me originates from different rules derived from past experience." - Corporal Levi_

* * *

"Eren!" Mikasa yelled as her brother jumped out of the door, his gear well strapped around him. He couldn't just sit in safety knowing his friends were facing danger.

A loud growl declared the arrival of the titans.

"Tsch!" Levi scowled at the sight of the cadet out of the house. It barely took him a second to jump right in front of the boy, his back still facing him. "INSIDE!" he kicked back, hitting the teen in the guts and throwing him through the door where Mikasa caught him.

The corporal gave them a sharp glare, cold gray eyes which could kill. "I won't hesitate from cutting your limbs if it means keeping you there!"

The girl frowned, clutching her brother's arms tight to her. _Just because Eren's body can regenerate doesn't mean he won't be suffering pain._

"S-sir!" Sasha mumbled, not knowing where to start.

Killing titans was one thing; fighting people who were titans was another.

To be honest with herself, Sasha didn't want to fight – not people. She sure lived in the woods, killed wild animals, climbed trees and hunted, but she would never forgive herself if she had hurt a human.

She wanted to be appreciated and loved by those who are similar to her.

The girl could not understand nor being close to comprehend the methods or purposes those human-titans had - but she just had one goal: _I want to build a new family among my friends. I want them to cherish me. I want to protect them._

"The nape of the neck." Jean said, interrupting her thoughts, "Cut it in a way you'll separate what's inside. We need the human."  
"We just need one." Levi stated, now showing up on the roof next to them. "Kill the other two. Humans like those don't deserve to live. I'll capture the last one."

The Corporal jumped, fired his hooks at the first titan, and swung at it with wires hissing in protest of his weight shift. The titan roared and lifted his arm, pulling the leader closer, attempting on catching him with its other hand.

In a swift movement, Levi released and reeled-in the hooks, fired them at a nearby tree, and let himself see the neck right in front of him.

Knowing this, a giant hand moved towards the neck, covering it. The titan possessed intelligence, it knew its weak spot, and its intellect came from the human controlling it. It wasn't a surprise to see it protecting itself—in fact, it was well expected. The fight with Annie had allowed Hanji to develop all sorts of theories possible for titan attacks – as well as counter attacks.

Levi smiled, and instead of turning in a wheel of swords at the neck, he just went down slashing the-now-visible Axilla-muscles; cutting the fibers by the shoulders in one severe slash and hence letting the arm fall down in numbness.

_Tsch_.. he snorted mentally, a bit of blood evaporating off his cheek.

The feeling of flesh-cutting is one of the things he could never get used to. There was this thick heavy feeling whenever his blade went through the light, glutinous meat and it somewhat made his disgusted.

Another giant hand moved towards him, he unhooked his blades from the grip and tossed them harshly into the titan's eyes, piercing them straight in the pupil.

ROAAAAAAR

Eren's looks widened, staring at his corporal's attacks. He looked to the left; his comrades were trying to tie the titans down as though following their superior's lead. Armin and Sasha's hooks and wires wrapped around the arms while Jean and Connie cut through the joints.

Mikasa grabbed her brother's hand tighter, witnessing the grave situation outside. If they don't die of a titan's attack, they'd be crushed by a giant body falling over the house. "Eren, please. For their sake as well; let's go."  
Historia looked down, struggling between fighting and staying. She didn't want to be a burden by showing up in a battle where she was the target, but she didn't want to be something that needed protection, risking her friends' lives for her sake.

She was tired of being the reason for people's sacrifice.

Her hands rolled in trembling fists as a gentle soft voice came out. "M-Mikasa. We must fight."

It didn't take more than 7 minutes for Levi's titan to fall.

Its joints were cut, eyes unable to heal due to the blades stuck in them, and its body probably felt heavier than what it is so it simply lay on the ground. The man had immobilized the arms, making sure to stick a poisoned blade in the joints to prevent them from regenerating – HHHHanji's creation of course. When the titan attempted escape, he slashed the ankles, and then the knees. The titan just fell, blind and still, unable to move.

_I'm not letting you escape like Annie did._

He looked back at his cadets. The titans, seeing what the corporal did to their friend, pushed to their limits. One of them managed to harden its skin by its elbow and cut through the wires. It took advantage of the moment of confusion between the cadets, lifted its hand up and slammed it into the ground in an attempt to squash Connie.

"SHIT" the teen yelled, barely escaping. The weight of the thud making him rise a bit and then fall.

The leader jumped to their rescue, but the titans had already started to run away. He looked back at the one captured and saw something he wished he didn't.  
Someone, covered in black, having the 3D maneuver gear on, was taking out the blades of the titan's joints, releasing it and allowing it to cure itself.  
Eren's green eyes were still focused on their movements from inside the house. Mikasa was unsure what to do since she couldn't convince him, neither Historia, of running away to safety like Levi had ordered. She believed she'll stay with them and protect them as much as possible.

Sasha fell down in exhaust next to Armin, kissing the ground that she's still alive and rolling in the mud with a big smile. Jean and Connie breathed in relief, looking at the two titans run and disappear into the forest.

The Corporal quickly fired his hooks closer to the fallen lonely titan and dashed at the intruder with his swords from above.

But something shined behind a nearby tree and caught Eren's attention.

He finally realized what was going on.

This was too easy. And the enemy knew that it's going to end bad for them.

Corporal Levi was there – the one who is known for his battle skills and swift movements.

Having to snatch the cadets from him would be a big hassle for the ones holding the secret, and they wouldn't want to lose more people.

"CORPORAL!" Eren shouted.

Levi looked a bit farther into the woods and his eyes met the ones of that soldier holding the sniper rifle. The gas of the leader's 3D gear rushed in a hasty push as he made a quick turn.

The rifle fired.

In a split second, the cadets' eyes all turned towards the sound.

Levi's hooks got loose and he crashed onto a tree in a bump. He fell to the ground into a bush, barely on his feet; the bullet had merely scratched his chest so he stood back up wary, looking around for the other invader.

He flinched. His ankle hadn't fully healed yet and it couldn't take much pressure.

The titan that fell down a minute earlier had by then vanished along with the person who was helping it.

The cadets were in a shock.

Humans were their target now; direct contact with humans. No more titans to cut and slash.

"Protect them!" The leader ordered while looking at Jean. He then fired the hooks again and followed the enemy.

Broken words came out of Sasha's mouth "T-This is a hunting ground! Sir!" She noted, her leader now too far to catch her warnings. "We used to come here sometimes, me and my dad…"

"So?" Connie asked.

"You don't understand!" the girl yelled, getting up. "This place is full of traps and tricky things. Everything can be harmful if you don't know what's around!"  
"What do you mean?" Historia questioned, now that she and Mikasa were out too.

"See that bush over there?" the girl pointed at the plants that cushioned their leader's drop. "I noticed some ergot growing on it, yesterday when I was out examining the area."  
"What?" Jean and Connie both asked. Even though they already knew she was probably hunting and having fun in what they call 'her natural habitat'.

Armin gasped quietly, remembering gardening advice from his grandpa. "Claviceps Purpurea." He said.

Sasha nodded and continued, "Something my dad taught me about when hunting. We sometimes used it in small portions on mammals to cause small convulsions of limbs and numbness, and sometimes leading them to losing consciousness. It made hunting easier in our hardship days."

Jean's thoughts rushed out of his mouth, looking at his hands. "What if it's used in large amounts?"

"It will vary according to the person but... It might lead to hallucinations, visual disturbance, a fever and uhh.. Occasionally might cause death. It's all over the place. There's a lot of danger around here despite titans and snipers."

"Wait…" Armin concluded, "They didn't want Eren and Historia. Not yet. They wanted to get rid of Corporal Levi. They're trying to get rid of us first!"

"Damnit!" Jean cursed, afraid he might have touched something.

"If they had conducted their researches in here, then they're in a better advantage." Sasha continued.

Mikasa's question interrupted, worry in her eyes, "Where's Eren?" Then she looked at Armin and they both had a look saying_ oh shit_.

* * *

"Corporal!" the green-eyed teen shouted, searching around the dark trees.

Eren had suspected, from the moment the titans showed, that they were not looking for him. Not once during that short attack did they try and approach the house. From afar, from where he was observing everything, he could see an irregular fight.

They were trying to draw Leader Levi away and keep everyone busy so that they can have their own fight alone.

Someone else was expected to kidnap the cadet but something went off their plan.

* * *

"They may have not known about the plants though." Armin argued. "Ergot grows in a certain seasons and certain temperature. The amount of crystals I've found was too little to indicate their stay in here but it seems it hasn't been for long."

"So we're on the same boat?" Connie asked, a bit too hopeful.

"No. We just all need to be careful where our steps fall." The blond assured.

* * *

The teen fired his hooks again, shifting his weight slowly to make sure he covers as much distance as possible.

Something shined again to his lower right, making him stop on a large tree branch. He took a closer look; it was the man in black who was helping the titan out, but he seemed unconscious—maybe dead.

_I wonder if it's Corporal Levi_… He thought. _Where the heck is he?  
_A sudden shooting sound put Eren in alert as he suddenly saw a hook clinch to the tree, a man in black dashing at him with a sword.

He pulled himself back, barely having time to take out his holders and clip them to the blades on his sides.

The man slashed and the boy stepped back, falling off. His hooks seized a set in a nearby branch as he hardly balanced himself, looking up where his opponent was.

Levi stood there, his arm bleeding, and so was his blade, which made the teen hope that blood did not belong to him.

He had saved him right in time.

"Corporal!" Eren pushed himself up to meet angry cold eyes.

"I thought I told you to stay put." The man said, making his cadet wish to see the poker face again.

The teen wanted to argue, even though guilty. But then he noticed something different. The Corporal's eyes weren't as cold as usual. In fact, they were red and somewhat irritated.

Levi was blinking far more than what he normally would and his breath was rapid.

"Sir?"

Eren heard a soft groan from below. A man in black, probably another one of those soldiers, was stumbling, tripping— his chest bleeding a bit—then fell on the ground , moaning.

However, the teen was sure his pain didn't come from the wounds.

_What's happening?_

Something told him he needs to keep an eye on his corporal. So he looked back.

Levi was breathing heavily, an obvious frustrated frown coloring his face. "Let's head back." He said, panting.

"Sir, not that I doubt your capabilities or anything, but you seem a bit ill; you sure you can handle your gear well?"

"Then we better do it fast, don't we?" The corporal rubbed his eyes and jumped off the tree, firing his hooks and swinging forward as fast as he can.

_This man is a wonder…_ Eren thought, following him. _I'm sure he can barely see his way and yet he's still managing to control his body and shift his weight efficiently._

But that didn't last long.

The leader made a turn to avoid a tree and somewhat lost his balance. The teen found him faintly holding on to a branch and pulling himself up to his feet.

"Sir!" Eren stopped by him and helped him up by the arm.

Levi stood up, barely. His whole body felt so heavy as though he lifting a titan up his shoulders. He could hear his cadet's voice but could see nothing but brown and green smudges of paint on black canvas.

"You must…h-have them change location." The leader managed to order, gripping the boy by his shoulder to keep himself stable.  
"Sir…" Eren hesitated.  
"Listen you shithead! You must listen to me! Change locations! We must hide well before they attack us again. Humans are worse enemies than titans, kid, you hear? I hate them for that. F-Filthy selfish creatures indeed. You need to pack up the food… F-fill up your gear gas. A-and report to Erwin Immediately."  
The Corporal's weight was now falling more onto Eren, who supported him by the arms, a bit of fear and confusion and lots of questions troubling him – yet he stayed composed. He may have no known what was happening; but he knew he must at least listen to his superior.

After all, this is all happening because of him.

Because everyone is always trying to protect him.

"Sir…."  
Levi's reddish eyes looked up and met the boy's jade ones, quietly as though the leader could read every hesitation and emotional distress the teen had. His hand tightened around the edge of the kid's shoulder.

"Show me what you can do." He whispered, in a manner that made this seem like a dare.

Eren smiled softly, now holding a still, unconscious Levi in his arms. He lifted him up to his shoulder, sensing his muscles press against his.

Guilt never loosened upon him.

The closer the boy got to the small house, the more frustration was built in him.

_I'm killing every one of them…. I'll kill those titans… I'll save my friends… and I'm definitely going to win!_


	3. Chapter 3

_"Once I'm dead, I won't even be able to remember you. So I'll win, no matter what. _

_I'll live, no matter what!" -Mikasa Ackerman_

* * *

Eren's chest felt like burning.

He wasn't sure if he was heading the right way, of if the air was just getting thicker by the second. It wasn't mist, he was sure of it; it was too warm for a winter evening and much drier for a humid land.

He rested his superior by the tree branch supporting them as his eyes scanned the surroundings.

Somehow, the forest now seemed as though it had lost all of its colors; gray-scale leaves on black trunks sizzling with the winds.

Snow slowly swung with the breezes. Yet it wasn't rain, no. It wasn't the cool water droplets that usually came down in Wall Rose.

Those were ashes.

That thick air was smoke.

The atmosphere was scorching with burning wood and its scent getting eaten by the flames.

A faded color of scarlet brightened at his front. The teen could recognize Jean's voice, Armin's yelling and Sasha's screaming.

_What the hell is going on?  
_

Eren gripped his holder attempting to fire his hook, then stopped and looked to his left. Levi was there, silently lying by the wood; his face was dripping with sweat and his chest moved so heavily as though he was suffering with just the act of inhaling.

_What should I do….?_

The boy gulped down his nervousness. He couldn't possibly leave his leader here. And he couldn't stay still while his comrades were in danger again.

"Eren!"

Somehow, that nearby voice had the teen breathe out; this voice always managed to hold him back together.

Mikasa landed with a soft hiss and immediately surrounded him with her arms, squeezing him so tight.

"Are you hurt? Is everything okay?" She quietly asked, looking directly into his eyes.

Eren's face turned towards Levi's without an answer. The girl wordlessly stared and then sighed, eyes closed; and then faced her brother.

"Listen, Eren." She said, "Jean and Armin devised a plan."

"I'm not running away!" The boy interrupted fast, taking her arms away from him, as though protesting on the conclusions he already knew were established before.

"You're not. We all are." She continued, to Eren's surprise. "I may not like this, but listen. You, Corporal Levi, and Sasha will head to an old barn right on top of this mountain. It's right to the Far East. It's closer to the edges of the wall so you will not encounter any residents.

There's a horse for you a bit closer to the edge of the forest. Take it.

Jean, Armin, Historia and I will meet up with you later. We will take a different route to lose our opponents. So we'll most probably come from the northern side of this mountain. Connie will head to the military police department to find Commander Erwin or Squad leader Hanji. Armin said the commander is most probably held-in at the moment for investigations concerning Annie. Corporal Levi has immense trust in him, and Connie will not stop till the words reach him; Armin suspects these people attacking us now to be in the military police."

Eren was in clear shock that he couldn't word out his thoughts. Mikasa kept on explaining, nonetheless.

"We have to keep you and Historia protected. The secret of the Titans might be all uncovered with you two. But… Since Corporal Levi is down... I don't know who's capable of…"

"It's alright." The boy said, hands in fists. "I'll head straight to the east. Tell Sasha to meet me there."

"But, Eren!"  
"Thank you, Mikasa." Eren smiled, placing a gentle hand on her head, softly brushing her hair down. "If you really want to help me, take care of yourself and everyone else. I got this. The Corporal should be okay soon I'm sure. I'm hoping to see you in the barn as well. You're my family. I'm not a kid."

The girl's cheeks flushed red a bit, as she saw hope in the teen's soft green eyes.

No matter how much hatred he bore, he could still always lighten up her heart.

"Please?" he said, still calm and quiet. "Would you trust me?" He lifted his fist up to her; she managed to show a little smile and softly bumped hers into his. "Okay... I'll see you soon. Don't die on me." She muttered.

* * *

"Sasha!" Jean yelled, standing by the door of the now burning house. "C'mon!"  
"I'm not wasting all of this!" She complained, throwing a heavy bag at him, making him lose his balance for a bit as he clutched it between his arms.

"What are you doing?! Get out of there! You have to go find Eren!"

"You won't survive if you don't have good food either!" She protested, and then finally jumped out of the fire and into the clearing, two bags in her arms and burnt bread in her mouth. "This forest is crazy. It will be hard finding good stuff in it." She explained.

"You won't be finding anything with a barbecued body!" The fair-haired objected, holding her by her arm and pushing her to her saddle.

* * *

Metal hooves heavily crushed the sandy stones as a horse rushed faster and faster between the bushes and around the mountain. Eren dashed wildly with Levi in his arms sitting by his front, barely managing to breathe.

_Shit… I know I managed to calm Mikasa down… but I'm not really sure if I can fool myself with this… I don't know where I'm going and I don't know when the Corporal will be awake…_

The sounds of the battle and the smell of scorched wood got replaced slowly with the birds' chirping and the cold breezes.

Eren was now resting by a small stream to the eastern side of the mountain, waiting on Sasha to meet him and hoping she will show up soon. The horse snorted to his left, as it calmly fed itself from what it found on the ground, finally taking its time to relax as well by the shading of a giant tree. Its auburn color reflected that little light that peeked through this cloudy evening.

The boy looked by his right; a small cavern in the rocks made perfect sheltering for Levi to sleep in. The Corporal's breath was now steadier than what it was hours ago and the fever had loosened its grip on him.

_Well…at least things are starting to get better…_ The teen told himself.

* * *

**_Shit…_**

* * *

Sadly, things always went in opposition with what our hero wanted.

The clouds that shielded the sunlight before were now gathered on top of the mountain and the rainfall was getting stronger by the minute.

Eren was in the small cave, with Levi still resting in his arms quietly.

_This hole is so small it can barely fit us… I hope the horse will be fine in this cold_. He thought, wrapping both his superior and him with the recon corps cape.

It was getting colder and it didn't seem like the weather had planned on taking a break any time soon.

_I can barely remember any times the Corporal and I were this close…_ Eren questioned himself, staring down at a serene, innocent, peaceful face. _He's always looking so violent we'd forget he has this side to himself as a normal human being. Petra was right..._

Then he remembered. There **_was_** actually a time when Eren got close to his superior. It wasn't long ago, but it was blurred back in his mind.

He could recall a thing or two. He could see somewhere in his mind two strong arms pulling him in a hug. He could hear the Corporal yelling at him to calm down. He could hear his own shaky voice as he mentioned the names of his old squad.

_The funeral. Right after the funeral._ He told himself, now figuring it out.

Since most of the bodies were _lost in battle_, the special operation squad bodies were not burnt with those that may cause sickness, nor buried with those that were allowed to be put in peace below the ground.

The teen saw the Corporal share a few words with Commander Erwin that morning, and then disappeared for the rest of the day. He didn't even attend the funeral held for the lost soldiers.

He never knew what he said or what they talked about, but the look in Commander Erwin's eyes never changed, compared to Corporal Levi's, such that Eren wondered if he was even human.

That evening, the boy silently allowed himself to enter their old castle, which they had cleaned together, as the special ops, earlier that month.

He was surprised to how empty it was. Petra's scolding words to one slacking Oluo; Eld complaining that Eren forgot to feed one of the horses; Gunther protesting at the times Levi had made him clean the kitchen…

The whole place seemed as though it had died with them.

Good moments faded. Dust filled the now vacant rooms... And the echo behind Eren's steps resonated amid bare hallways.

The teen's watery eyes led him to a small cabinet in the kitchen where he knew Eld stored Alcohol.

He hesitated, then opened it and took out a thin but tall, unlabeled bottle.

With a small hiss, he opened it and gulped down his sadness like he had seen many people do; a sour taste filling his throat as though his insides were set on fire.

He put it down and took a breath, and then lifted the bottle and drank as much as he managed before his body demanded a break.

It felt too warm.

Hot tears rolled down his cheeks. It still hurt him. _This alcohol is shit… shit… I'm feeling shit…_

His hands went up rubbing his reddish teary eyes and as they went down, everything around him blurred a bit.

"What are you doing kid?" He heard Levi's voice say somewhere in the room. "Did you drink all of that?"

"Yes." Eren mumbled, looking around to locate his superior.  
"Are you crying?"

The ground looked like as if it was moving. Gentle hands rested by the teen's arms as they guided him to a room somewhere by the end of the hallway, and eventually put him to bed.

"Stay here and sleep it off. I'll be in the room next to you." Levi said, looking like a mixed colored blob to Eren, who just nodded and rolled under the blankets below him.

An hour or so passed, to what the teen thought. He couldn't fully remember what happened or how much he had slept.

The only thing he was sure of was that the next morning, he felt warm. It wasn't because of the blankets, nor the alcohol in his body.

His head was cushioned on something other than a pillow; something that had heartbeats.

The view of the ceiling had changed.

The asphalt brick walls were clean.

A smell of Lily scented disinfectant filled his lungs.

Eren's numb hands finally managed to lift him up to realize that he was actually resting in his Corporal's arms.

His head hurt, his eyes hurt, and he was clearly confused as he scanned the room for what he hoped to be an answer. Except that there was nothing that could explain this but probably the man whom he was sharing the bed with.

The boy's looks turned then to Levi to meet his. The leader was actually wide awake but still resting, possibly just because he didn't want to wake the cadet up.

A cold breeze sent a chill down Eren's body, and he finally noticed that they were both half naked.

_This looks bad…shit…shit shit shit…_ He told himself, wrapping his arms around his chest. He looked back at Levi, who was still staring at him calmly, saying nothing.

-Awkward silence-

"How long?" Eren asked, looking down, somewhat lost between embarrassment and gratitude.

"All night." Came the answer of his superior. "First time on alcohol...?"

"Yes." The boy said, now certain what he was feeling was humiliation, with a pinch of irresponsibility.

"You sure picked a strong one for a first time." Levi mumbled, sitting up. "Don't touch this stuff again." And to Eren's surprise, a gentle hand muffled up his hair as it rested on his head.

"It's alright." The superior added, "Don't worry."

The boy opened his mouth to protest but Levi continued "I'm not going anywhere."

And somehow, for some strange reason, the teen's heart beat heavier than it normally did. A thick feeling in his throat made his breathing harder. Water leaked from his jade eyes as they focused on those, unusually, peaceful gray ones of his leader.

That morning's sunlight was so vivid, and it entered the room radiantly from the right angle; for everything seemed to brighten up even if just a little bit.

"_I'm not going anywhere"_ Levi's words warmed up Eren's mind as he held his leader closer to him in that dark cavern.

"You better stick to your words, corporal." He muttered by his superior's ears. "I'm not planning on letting you go just yet."

* * *

This update took me a while, sorry guys, I'm so busy with exams and holidays stuff. I hope you had a good Christmas.

Just a little warning for when I update the next chapter, **there will be a lot of lemons and such**. It was rated M after all and this fanfiction is Ereri and Letra (Eren x levi, Petra x levi)

If you got any special requests make sure to tell me before I keep on updating ~  
Sincerely,

ßlue


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